I imagine certain features like Google Maps’ different busyness indicators might be missing because otherwise that would require telemetry?

    • New_account@lemmy.worldEnglish
      2·
      1 year ago

      Open Street Map is legitimate. In bicycling communities, Strava is the gold standard app for tracking rides, and it uses Open Street Maps on the backend. It’s always super accurate for me, even for fairly obscure bike trails off the beaten path.

      • pumpsnabben@sopuli.xyzEnglish
        1·
        1 year ago

        Then you can map it and add it to the map with a free account and some “proof”, unlike Google Maps where the main road to my colleague and his four neighbours houses still isn’t on Google Maps after almost a year of reporting. The road is almost a year old but my colleague still can’t get deliveries to his house.

        Try it out! The mapping community on OpenStreetMap is often very helpful and open to new people.

        • marmo7ade@lemmy.worldEnglish
          2·
          1 year ago

          This is why these alternatives fail. We could be talking about maps or MS Office. If the end user has to “fix” the software, it will fail. Google spends A LOT of money maintaining google maps so that the user does not have to.

          • pumpsnabben@sopuli.xyzEnglish
            3·
            1 year ago

            All software and services has bugs and missing features, Google maps as well.

            The difference here is that the user is actually able to fix these missing details on the maps themselves if they want. Or ask the local mapping team for help.

            Have you ever tried to correct anything on Google maps?

            • DigitalPortkey@lemmy.worldEnglish
              2·
              1 year ago

              Yes, many times. I’d say 80% of the time, my correction goes through the same day.

              Have you ever tried to correct something on Google Maps? I get the desire to want to switch to open alternatives, and I’m all for it, but Google Maps is not exactly hard to get fixed yourself.

              • pumpsnabben@sopuli.xyzEnglish
                2·
                1 year ago

                Yes I have corrected Google on numerous times and sure the changes go through, only to be rescinded after about three months.

                I work at a small business with only a few employees, one of my tasks is to update our online presence. Our warehouse is located in an awkward position which makes it hard for deliveries to find us, often they call for directions. I have gotten Google to change our pin position to a more correct place and also added a small road to get to us but these disappear after about three months. I have tried to contact Google about it for over a year but I have gotten no answers.

            • marmo7ade@lemmy.worldEnglish
              2·
              1 year ago

              I have given feedback on google maps on businesses that are either closed or have the wrong hours on google maps. Google maps has a feedback option that is easily accessible from location on the map. That’s about the extent I am willing to participate.